As for the rest of the characters - I really appreciate that they are complex and three dimensional. Even the villians are shown to be human and not mustache twirling one dimensional people.

I do have one question - does Maxine not have family living in Hollyoaks?

On the whole I'm happy to have given this soap my viewership- but in doing so, I really see the shortcomings of our US soaps. I really see the lack of respect for the audience's collective intelligence the US Producers, Writers, and general TPTB have for us as Soap viewers.